Then he recalled his reflection in the cheval glass and frowned. Could Leopold convince them? He doubted it--and what then? The American was sentenced to be shot at dawn. They would shoot the king instead. Then there would be none to whom to return the kingship. What would he do with it? The temptation was great. Again a throne lay within his grasp--a throne and the woman he loved. None might ever know unless he chose to tell--his resemblance to Leo-pold was too perfect. It defied detection.
With an exclamation of impatience he wheeled about and dragged the frightened monarch back to the room from which he had stolen him. As he entered he heard a knock at the door.
"Do not disturb me now," he called. "Come again in half an hour.""But it is Her Highness, Princess Emma, sire," came a voice from beyond the door. "You summoned her.""She may return to her apartments," replied Barney.
All the time he kept his revolver leveled at the king, from his eyes he had removed the blind after they had entered the apartment. He crossed to the table where the king had been sitting when he surprised him, motioning the ragged ruler to follow and be seated.
"Take that pen," he said, "and write a full pardon for Mr. Bernard Custer, and an order requiring that he be fur-nished with money and set at liberty at dawn."The king did as he was bid. For a moment the American stood looking at him before he spoke again.
"You do not deserve what I am going to do for you," he said. "And Lutha deserves a better king than the one my act will give her; but I am neither a thief nor a murderer, and so I must forbear leaving you to your just deserts and return your throne to you. I shall do so after I have insured my own safety and done what I can for Lutha--what you are too little a man and king to do yourself.
"So soon as they liberate you in the morning, make the best of your way to Brosnov, on the Serbian frontier. Await me there. When I can, I shall come. Again we may ex-change clothing and you can return to Lustadt. I shall cross over into Siberia out of your reach, for I know you too well to believe that any sense of honor or gratitude would prevent you signing my death-warrant at the first opportunity.
Now, come!"
Once again Barney led the blindfolded king through the dark corridor to the room in the opposite tower--to the prison of the American. At the open panel he shoved him into the apartment. Then he drew the door quietly to, leaving the king upon the inside, and retraced his steps to the royal apartments. Crossing to the center table, he touched an electric button. A moment later an officer knocked at the door, which, in the meantime, Barney had unbolted.
"Enter!" said the American. He stood with his back to-ward the door until he heard it close behind the officer.
When he turned he was apparently examining his revolver.
If the officer suspected his identity, it was just as well to be prepared. Slowly he raised his eyes to the newcomer, who stood stiffly at salute. The officer looked him full in the face.
"I answered your majesty's summons," said the man.
"Oh, yes!" returned the American. "You may fetch the Princess Emma."The officer saluted once more and backed out of the apartment. Barney walked to the table and sat down. Atin box of cigarettes lay beside the lamp. Barney lighted one of them. The king had good taste in the selection of tobacco, he thought. Well, a man must need have some redeeming characteristics.
Outside, in the corridor, he heard voices, and again the knock at the door. He bade them enter. As the door opened Emma von der Tann, her head thrown back and a flush of anger on her face, entered the room. Behind her was the officer who had been despatched to bring her. Barney nodded to the latter.
"You may go," he said. He drew a chair from the table and asked the princess to be seated. She ignored his re-quest.
"What do you wish of me?" she asked. She was looking straight into his eyes. The officer had withdrawn and closed the door after him. They were alone, with nothing to fear;yet she did not recognize him.
"You are the king," she continued in cold, level tones, "but if you are also a gentleman, you will at once order me returned to my father at Lustadt, and with me the man to whom you owe so much. I do not expect it of you, but Iwish to give you the chance.
"I shall not go without him. I am betrothed to you; but until tonight I should rather have died than wed you. Now I am ready to compromise. If you will set Mr. Custer at liberty in Serbia and return me unharmed to my father, I will fulfill my part of our betrothal."Barney Custer looked straight into the girl's face for a long moment. A half smile played upon his lips at the thought of her surprise when she learned the truth, when suddenly it dawned upon him that she and he were both much safer if no one, not even her loyal self, guessed that he was other than the king. It is not difficult to live a part, but often it is difficult to act one. Some little word or look, were she to know that he was Barney Custer, might betray them; no, it was better to leave her in ignorance, though his conscience pricked him for the disloyalty that his act implied.
It seemed a poor return for her courage and loyalty to him that her statement to the man she thought king had revealed. He marveled that a Von der Tann could have spoken those words--a Von der Tann who but the day be-fore had refused to save her father's life at the loss of the family honor. It seemed incredible to the American that he had won such love from such a woman. Again came the mighty temptation to keep the crown and the girl both;but with a straightening of his broad shoulders he threw it from him.
She was promised to the king, and while he masqueraded in the king's clothes, he at least would act the part that a king should. He drew a folded paper from his inside pocket and handed it to the girl.
"Here is the American's pardon," he said, "drawn up and signed by the king's own hand."She opened it and, glancing through it hurriedly, looked up at the man before her with a questioning expression in her eyes.